1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auger type ice making machine and more particularly to an improvement of an auger adapted for use in the ice making machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Provided in a conventional auger type ice masking machine is an auger of the type composed of an auger body integrally formed thereon with a helical blade and a support shaft united with a lower end of the auger body. The auger is mounted for rotary movement within an evaporator housing of the ice making machine and connected at its support shaft to an output shaft of a drive mechanism for rotation therewith. When rotated by operation of the drive mechanism, the auger scrapes ice crystals frozen on the internal surface of the evaporator housing and advances the scraped ice crystals upward for discharge.
In general, the support shaft of the auger is coaxially united with the lower end of the auger body by friction welding. The support shaft of the auger is formed by machining a solid columnar metallic material and is connected to the output shaft of the drive mechanism by means of a spline joint coupled with external splines respectively formed on the output shaft and support shaft. Alternatively, an internal spline formed in the support shaft is coupled with an external spline formed on the output shaft.
Since the support shaft of the auger is formed separately from the auger body and united with the lower end of the auger body coaxially therewith by friction welding, it is required to preliminarily form an extra portion on the upper end of the support shaft to be removed as burrs during the process of friction welding. The extra portion on the upper end of the support shaft becomes useless after united with the auger body. This results in an increase of the manufacturing cost of the auger.
In the case that the internal spline of the support shaft is coupled with the external spline of the output shaft without using the spline joint for connection to the output shaft, it is required to form the internal spline on the internal periphery of the support shaft. To form the internal spline in the support shaft, special machining such as electric discharge machining is required. This also results in an increase of the manufacturing cost of the auger.